Get to Know Allison

September 19, 2022 | Interview by Emilia Charno

Allison speaking at a Teach for America alumni event in 2018.

Allison and her family at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game.

What are the values that drive your work?

I am Chief Strategy Officer at America Achieves and a parent of an 11 and 13 year old. I have spent most of my career in the education space, starting off as a teacher in New Orleans, where I was awakened and galvanized early on in my career by the inequities I saw in my classroom in the largest high school in the city. Then I moved into the policy and advocacy space, running issue campaigns in Los Angeles and across CA, and finally I served as the COO of a charter school network serving 3500 mostly Latino families just outside of downtown Los Angeles. Through the different roles I took on, and also as a parent, I have seen many holes in our education system–and in pathways to opportunity more broadly–and I feel a sense of urgency for how to do better for the next generation.

There are a set of values that I have made explicit to my work over the years. The first is equity - social and racial. I am motivated by the concept of how we can create equity through policy and practice. Next, I strive for impact and like to drive action with big ideas. And finally, connection - I believe that the best way to get to equity and impact is through building connections, relationships and intersectionality, across lines and fields of differences.

You recently took on a new role at America Achieves. What brought you to accepting this opportunity?

After wearing many hats in the education sector, I started a consulting practice which quickly grew to clients in fields adjacent to the K-12 space that were similarly impact-, equity-, and connections-oriented. During the first year of the pandemic, I served as COO for a short-term initiative in Colorado that looked at innovative approaches to getting COVID-19 tests to kids and teachers. As our work was winding down, I spoke to the head of the Foundation behind the COVID startup and asked him who are some of the people doing the most interesting social impact work in the country, and he connected me with America Achieves CEO Jon Schnur.

I joined America Achieves and a number of consultants last summer to work on the $1B Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC), providing targeted approaches to economic development and workforce pathways. The work grew into an incredible opportunity to work with the U.S. Economic Development Administration and provide technical assistance support to all 60 challenge finalists. This was an exciting strategic endeavor, and as America Achieves continues to evolve and iterate, Jon asked me to join the team as Chief Strategy Officer. The opportunity to build on what we had done and apply insights learned from dynamic regions around the country was one I wanted to say yes to.

What have you learned so far and what’s been surprising?

As I mentioned, I’ve spent a lot of time working in and around schools, with a goal of creating better opportunities for all kids, but hadn’t necessarily been in formal economic development conversations until the last few years. Both a learning opportunity and a pleasant surprise for me is how much my experience building teams, running schools, and leading advocacy campaigns in the education sector translated to this work. The reality is that building culture on teams and connecting the dots on strategy and programs can translate in multiple fields. In some ways, the inclusive economic mobility space and the innovation and energy of everyone involved reminds me of the enthusiasm and optimism educators had around new initiatives, like charter schools and extended teacher training programs in the early 2000’s. There’s a sense of camaraderie, a willingness to learn from each other, and a commitment to doing things differently. Our team regularly talks about this as “not your grandparents’ economic development.”

How do you define inclusive economic growth?

Inclusive economic growth means increased wealth and opportunity for all, especially for communities that have been historically excluded, translating into a sense of belonging and hope that are so needed in our world today.

What does it mean to equitably invest in communities in the United States?

It sounds simple but it is very important for people to know their voice and presence matter. Equitably investing in communities means really seeing, hearing, and bringing those communities to the table and identifying and removing barriers that create fear or distrust. It also means recognizing that for communities that historically have been excluded, additional resources will be needed to achieve results.

America Achieves supported landmark research on broadband development. How is broadband important for the future of workforce development and economic opportunity?

Broadband is a basic necessity to operate in our world and it’s easy to take for granted. If you think about the number of times you go online in a given day for basic necessities, it’s really mind blowing. I use the internet to get from one place to another, to check on my students’ school assignments, to order things I forgot to pick up at the store. This was even more true during remote learning. It’s sort of insane, really, and I take it completely for granted.

That said, there are many urban, rural, and tribal communities in our country without access to reliable broadband. Therefore they can’t access what has become for so many of us a true lifeline. This is paramount to inclusive economic development. To get to where we should be in terms of access to broadband, we need a workforce and talent pipeline to bring high speed access to all communities.. The federal government has authorized millions of dollars to support this effort--the question now is how will states leverage these funds to build the talent and infrastructure needed to expand access across the country.

What is a place that has deeply shaped you?

Los Angeles. I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, with very limited exposure to Los Angeles, other than what I saw in movies and TV shows (90210 and LA Law were among my favorites). But the scenes I saw on the screen were not images I related to or ever imagined living near. Fast forward to today; I’ve lived in Los Angeles for two decades and can’t imagine living anywhere else. We have the benefits of a tight community and a vast metropolitan region at our fingertips. My kids walk to school, I can hike in a giant urban park up the street, and my neighbors have my back when I park on the wrong side of the street or need flour at the last minute. I love that I can walk to my neighborhood coffee shop, drive to the beach, stop for bibimbap on my way there, and pick up tacos on my way back. The diversity of culture, the texture of the landscape, the literal and figurative contrast found in every neighborhood serve as a regular reminder of the complexity and richness of the world.

Our team at Kyanite Partners met you by collaborating with you to provide technical assistance for the Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Is there anything you would like to share about that project and team?

Kyanite Partners brought an uncanny sense of expertise to coalition-building, facilitation, and real-life examples of what inclusive economic development can and would look like. I first met Cali last fall, and her warmth and asset-based mindset immediately caught my attention. She approached unfamiliar audiences and challenging conversations with a curiosity and manner that built trust. This ability to enable people to listen to each other and move forward is a skillset I appreciate and value, particularly under high stakes and short timelines. She is responsive, thoughtful, and a team player; she is also someone with whom I’d gladly explore a new city with or go on obscure outdoor adventures. Her “all-in” and sense of possibility are characteristics of all the Kyanite Partners team members we have been able to work with.

Is there anything that you’re reading or watching that’s inspiring you?

I recently listened to James Clear’s Atomic Habits. His personal story overcoming a crazy high school sports accident is amazing. But what really pulled me in is the framework for developing good habits that he offers. Specifically, he says something like “we do not rise to our goals but rather fall to the level of our systems.” When I read this, I felt such an ah-ha, recognizing that effective systems, or lack thereof, are what have often made or broken my ability to meet my goals. For example, when I set a goal to workout 4 days a week, but rely on my intrinsic motivation to get there, I don’t come close to achieving it. But when I find a running partner, and we set an expectation that we’ll run at x time, y days a week, I form a habit that’s easy to stick with over time. So for anyone looking to shift habits, I highly recommend it.

Anything else you’d like to share?

America Achieves recently launched the Catalyze Blog! It includes a series of reflections from the technical assistance work we engaged in over the past year. We are hoping this can be shared with folks doing the work and also more broadly so that people can engage with the work and values of inclusive economic growth.

It sounds simple but it is very important for people to know their voice and presence matter. Equitably investing in communities means really seeing, hearing, and bringing those communities to the table and identifying and removing barriers that create fear or distrust.

Allison at a student-led “Kindness March” with colleagues from the Camino Nuevo Cisneros campus.

Allison speaking to Build Back Better Regional Challenge Phase 1 Winners at a convening in Washington, D.C. in June 2022.